Falling: The Cut Scenes
by Lelila
Summary: So, what was all that stuff that got cut out of Chapter 29? What were Robin and Starfire doing alone in the woods? Probably just what you think! Was anything else cut? Come check it out!
1. The Talk

Chapter 15: Decisions

A/N: So, the idea for this "story" came from the fact that I had to cut so much out of Chapter 29 to keep the story rated T. I'm really proud of what I wrote, and I really didn't want it just on my hard drive with nobody but me reading it. I've cut a few other things out of some other chapters for the same reason, and I thought I'd post that stuff too, as long as I was doing this.

There's a bunch of stuff in this chapter about Robin describing what condoms are to Starfire. It might have squeaked in under the line, but it wasn't necessary, so I cut it just to be safe. Here it is, back in all its glory! Enjoy Robin's squirming!

**BIG NOTE: **This chapter is not complete. Only the scene with the restored dialogue is included. You have to read the version that's posted with the main story to get all the plot points.

_Chapter 15: Decisions_

Starfire awoke, rather disoriented, unsure of what had woken her. Before she even got to the point of opening her eyes, she realized it was Robin. He was kissing her. What had woken her was the fact that he had pushed her over onto her back. His kisses were eager, and Starfire, still mostly asleep, responded in kind, throwing her arms around his neck and burying her fingers in his hair.

Robin moaned into her mouth at her touch, and shifted his weight to be more fully on top of her. He pushed a hand into the neckline of her sleepshirt to grasp her bare shoulder. The top two buttons popped open from his rough ministrations.

Starfire felt several sighs slip from her throat as Robin's lips slid over her chin and down her neck to leave a trail across her collarbone. He continued to push her neckline even farther aside to kiss her shoulder and her chest, daring to graze a bit lower to where the swell of her breast began. It was not until her shirt pulled taught against her ribs that Starfire awoke from the mixed reverie of sleep and passion to question her would-be _revoleth._

"Robin? Robin, stop. I believe you are damaging my sleepshirt."

"Huh, what?" Robin snapped his head up. He was breathless, his eyes dark with desire.

"I said I believe you are damaging my sleepshirt."

Robin pulled his hand from under her shirt where it still gripped her shoulder, reacting as though he'd been stung. "I…I'm sorry, I…" he fumbled, attempting to pull Starfire's sleepshirt back to where it should be.

"What are you doing, Robin? I thought you did not wish to _mrvlomh_ in the bed."

"I didn't…I don't…I…" He groaned and rolled away from her, falling onto his back to lie next to her. "I dreamt about you tonight, Star," he said after a moment. She rolled up onto her side to look at him while he spoke. "We were…floating. I don't even know where we were. But we were both, um, naked." The word seemed to catch in his throat. He cleared it before going on. "And…I don't know how to describe it. You were touching me everywhere all at once. It was like we were melding into one being…It was...the most wonderful feeling..." He turned his eyes toward her in the dim light. "And when I woke up, I saw you lying there, and, I don't know, I guess I was still half-asleep, but it seemed that there had to be a way to re-capture that feeling..." He trailed off. "I don't know. It's stupid. I'm sorry. I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"I am unharmed. I rather enjoyed it, actually." She giggled.

Robin smiled with relief. The two regarded each other in the dim light for a few moments before the thoughts swimming around in Robin's head bubbled their way to the surface. "Is that...what it's like? Being _revoleths_, that is? Feeling like... you don't know where you end and the other person begins?"

Starfire shook her head. "I do not know. I have never had a _revoleth_."

Robin rolled up onto his side to face her, reaching up to cup her cheek with a hand. "Maybe...maybe it's time we both found out."

Starfire blinked several times, uncertain she had heard what she did. "You...wish to..._xiokryw_...with me?"

Robin blinked too, somewhat flustered. "Yeah, I think so...I..." He heaved a breath in an attempt to calm himself. "I love you. And whenever I touch you, or kiss you, or hold you, I have this overwhelming urge to crawl inside of you or swallow you or..." He shook his head. "I can't ever be close enough to you. And if being _revoleths_ is like my dream - not knowing where I end and you begin - then..." he began nodding, as if to punctuate his point, "then I can't think of anything I want more."

"Oh, Robin!" Starfire threw her arms around him and squeezed him tightly before springing into a sitting position on the bed. "We must begin the planning. When shall we perform the _frpertomh_? Where should it happen? What should we be wearing? Should we bring refreshments? What about _vmytsvryopm_?"

"Wait wait wait," Robin sat up as well. "Slow down. What are these words you're using? I've not heard them before."

"Oh!" Starfire placed a hand over her lips. "I am sorry. I was so excited I did not bother to try to remember the Earth words. _Frpertomh_ is the first act of _xiokryw_ performed by impending _revolethen_." She paused, biting her lip. "I do not believe I know the Earth term for it."

"I don't know that there is one. I think we just say 'the first time.'"

"Oh. How very unimaginative."

"Yeah, well..." Robin turned back to the subject at hand. "What about that other one: _vmy...vyts_..."

_"Vmytsvryopm_?" Starfire finished. "It is a means of preventing conception."

"Yeah, let's talk about that," Robin said, pulling his legs up under him to sit more comfortably.

"I love you, and I'm pretty sure I want to do this, but not unless we can be fairly sure that you won't get pregnant. We're too young, and with the kind of life we lead, we'd only be putting a baby in danger."

"I concur," Starfire said, nodding.

"Good. So, um..." Robin was suddenly at a loss. "How do they take care of this on Tameran?"

"Well, there are many forms of _vmytsvryopm_..."

"Contraception," Robin broke in.

"Oh, is that the Earth word? I was uncertain."

"That, or 'birth control.'"

Starfire's brow creased. "Birth control?"

"Yeah, you control whether or not you give birth."

Starfire's brow remained creased. "I see. Let us use 'contraception.' It seems more apt."

Robin's lips quirked into a half-smile. "Okay."

"As I was saying," Starfire went on, "If my _bumgorph_ is to be believed, Tamaran has many forms of contraception. It is usually the male's responsibility to make sure that they are utilized."

"Really? It's kind of the other way around here."

"Oh? Is fatherhood not taken seriously here?"

Robin scratched the back of his head. "In general yes, but there is still kind of this attitude that if a girl gets pregnant, it's her problem to deal with."

"How irresponsible! On Tameran, a father may not be able to carry a child or give birth or produce nourishment, but he is totally responsible for his child's economical and educational well-being. If a father does not fulfill these duties, he is looked upon very poorly by society."

"Maybe things would be better if it was that way here." Robin paused. "Well, since we've been doing a lot of this the Tameranian way, why don't I take care of the uh, contraception?"

"Very well," Starfire nodded. "What Earthly method will you choose?"

Robin cleared his throat, forcing the self-consciousness from it. "Probably...condoms. They're easy to get, and if I understand correctly from what I've heard, fairly easy to use."

"Very well," Starfire folded her hands in her lap. "What are these 'condoms?'"

Robin had to cough several times before he could speak this time. "They're uh, rubber...sheaths that fit over the uh...man's...genitalia. It prevents the uh, male and female DNA from mixing."

"Simple, yet effective," Starfire observed. "We have several such methods on Tameran." She cocked her head, thinking. "But would a sheath not diminish sensation?"

Robin shrugged, his discomfort beginning to be evident even in the dim light. "I don't know. Maybe. But since neither of us has done it before, does it really make a difference?"

Starfire chewed her lip for a moment. "Perhaps not. Very well, these 'condoms' of yours are acceptable. Now, what of the other details? When shall we do this? And where? And..."

"Star, Star, Star," Robin broke in, putting a hand on her shoulder. "We have time. I'd really like to get some more sleep before training starts at 6:00, so can we talk about this later?"

Starfire glanced at the clock. It read 2:47. Her shoulders fell, but she agreed. "Oh, all right. I agree that more sleep is prudent. But we shall revisit this topic soon, yes?"

Robin smiled with relief. "Yes. Now, come back to bed." He gathered her up in his arms and pulled her back down onto the pillows, allowing himself a brief chuckle as she giggled into his ear.


	2. Grabby Robin

Chapter 18: In the Tent

Robin's a little grabbier in this version than in the one that's posted with the rest of the story. I think it lets you into his head a little more, but again, I wanted to keep it a T, so I cut it.

_Chapter 18: In the Tent_

Robin slept fitfully. The ground was lumpy. On this trip, they had decided to bring sleeping bags. But it was summer, and they really were too warm. Even so, the night air had a chill. Robin's cape helped somewhat, but he was still chilly. His tossing and turning finally frustrated Beast Boy enough that the changeling morphed himself into a field mouse and curled up in the corner of the tent, which did help Robin somewhat, as Beast Boy snored like a buzz saw in his human form.

His frustration was interrupted by Starfire's lilting whisper. "Beast Boy? Please awaken. It is time for you to do the watching."

Robin opened his eyes to see Starfire's shadow outside his tent. "Beast Boy?" She repeated her inquiry. Robin was about to roll over and prod at him when he heard the opening to his tent unzip.

"Starfire!" Beast Boy squeaked, changing back into his human form as Starfire climbed in. "This is the boys' tent! How do you know we weren't naked in here?"

"But Beast Boy, " Starfire replied, "have I not already seen you naked every time you have become another animal?"

"Well, sort of...not really..." Beast Boy sputtered.

"Yeah, BB," Robin put in, lifting himself up onto his elbow. "What does happen to your clothes when you morph?"

"I...well...it's complicated!" Beast Boy huffed, and pushed past Starfire out of the tent.

Robin shook his head and then turned his gaze to Starfire. "He is right about one thing though. This is the boys' tent. You should go."

Starfire seemed to pout a little. Lowering her voice to barely above a whisper, she said, "It is difficult to sleep without you by my side _Aiyknrwa_ Robin."

Robin felt his body flush. Something about the way she said that..."Maybe that's why I'm having trouble sleeping. Still, we're on a mission. You should bunk with Raven."

Even in the dim light, Robin saw her frown. "Very well. May I still have my goodnight kiss?"

"Oh...I guess," Robin teased. He sat up and put a hand on her arm, leaning in to kiss her. But the chaste peck he expected to get very quickly turned into a deep, languid, sensual kiss. They broke apart nearly a minute later, only to fly back together in a much more frenzied display; tongues probing and teeth nipping. Starfire wrapped her arms around Robin's neck, and the hand that he had put on her arm slipped down, almost accidentally, certainly of its own volition, onto her breast. After realizing it, Robin pulled away, expecting Starfire to react, and she did, but not in the way he expected.

Instead of being repelled, she seemed not to notice. Being denied his lips, she pressed herself more firmly against him and started nibbling on his ear. Robin's eyes rolled back into his head for a moment. She'd never done that before.

Regaining what little semblance of lucid thought he had, his knee-jerk reaction was to get her to stop; they were on a mission after all. But still, he had also planned for some alone time with her. They had said they were ready. Their protection was in his utility belt, within easy reach. Even so, he'd wanted it to be more than just a grope-fest in one of the tents. But, the first time didn't have to be the only time, did it?

He vacillated like that for what seemed like forever. But when Starfire stuck her tongue in his ear he finally came to this: her breast was in his hand, and her nipple was growing erect beneath his thumb, and whatever she was doing to his ear was sending chills down his spine and warmth to his groin. He decided to let whatever was going to happen, happen.

He rubbed her still-clothed nipple slightly with his thumb and snaked his other arm around her back. Starfire was now nibbling on his jaw, and the angle of his head forced him to lean back. Unable to keep his balance, he fell onto his sleeping bag, pulling her with him.

The fall interrupted her rhythm and she pulled back, her hair a curtain around them. "Robin, perhaps..." Robin silenced her by pulling down into a hungry kiss. She responded eagerly, her fingers twining into his hair. Robin pushed his own fingers underneath the back of her halter-top. Just as he was beginning to inch his way around to reach under the front of her top, Cyborg's light shown through the wall of the tent.

"Yo, Rob. Wake up. We've got a solid hit on the creature."


	3. Xioykrw

--

This is _the_ chapter gang; every little detail is spelled out. You'll find there's a LOT of stuff that didn't make it into the version that's posted with the rest of the story. The whole tenor of the chapter is different, in my opinion. There's a lot of Robin/Starfire characterization stuff that I think is really good and I had a good time writing, but it had to go because it involved the removal of clothing and/or the touching of certain body parts. I especially think the whole thing with Robin's cup is pretty hilarious, but I'm biased. Why don't you drop me a review and let me know what you think?

**BIG NOTE:** This chapter is not complete! The whole reveal about the creature and the stone has been removed as nothing was cut from it in the first place. If you want to read this version instead of the version that's posted with the rest of the story, you're still going to have to read everything after where this one ends in that version or you're going to miss some important stuff!

Oh, and, I forgot to say this in the other two chapters in this post: TEEN TITANS DON'T BELONG TO ME! Darn.

_Chapter 29: Bonds_

Starfire flew them towards the Tower, but stopped in the clearing by the river that she and Raven had come to a few days prior to bathe. She set Robin on his feet before landing, her arms still around him.

"Star, why are we…" Robin didn't have the chance to finish his sentence as Starfire pulled him against her and sealed her lips to his. Robin responded quickly, tightening his arms around her back and rubbing his nose against hers. "What, you couldn't wait until we got back to the Tower?" he asked around a smile when they separated.

"No," she answered simply, fastening her lips to his again. Robin chuckled into her mouth, reaching up to caress her cheek. Before too long, she pushed her tongue into his mouth and the two of them battled for control, nibbling and licking as they pulled each other ever closer, fingers digging into flesh. They separated after several minutes, their chests heaving. Starfire rest her forehead against Robin's and the pair smiled at each other.

"Besides," she said after another moment, slipping from his arms, "I thought this would be a nice place to have a picnic." She pushed her pack from her shoulders.

"But we just had lunch."

"I know," she told him, kneeling down and digging into her pack. "But we can have a snack and enjoy each others' company, yes?"

Robin smiled again and shrugged off his own pack. "Sounds great."

Starfire produced a blanket and spread it beneath a large tree that grew near the riverbank. Digging around a bit more in her pack, she pulled out two of the bottles of ginger ale that Robin had purchased, along with the package of chocolate sandwich cookies.

Robin laughed. "Star, where did you find those?"

"They were among your personal effects. I helped you pack them, if you recall. I hope you do not mind."

"No, of course not," Robin replied, settling himself against the trunk of the tree and reaching for a bottle of ginger ale. "To tell the truth, I got them for just this kind of thing. I had hoped we'd have some time to do something like this." He blushed a little, but Starfire smiled brightly. She opened the package of cookies and handed several to him before picking one up and twisting it apart, just as he had shown her to do. She frowned.

"What is it?"

"We have no milk."

Robin laughed again. "You're right; these cookies really are best with milk." He stuffed a whole one into his mouth and took a swig of ginger ale. He made an awful face. "Ugh..and they really don't go well with ginger ale."

"Oh…" Starfire's frown deepened. "I am sorry. I fear that I have ruined our picnic."

"Don't think like that," Robin told her, reaching around her shoulders and pulling her near. "I'm the one that picked out this combination; I only have myself to blame. Besides, I'm here with you; that's all I really want."

Starfire's worried look quickly changed into a bright smile and she snuggled up against him, resting her head on his shoulder. They sat like that for several minutes, looking out over the river. Robin lightly caressed her shoulder and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath, inhaling the heady smell of the damp earth, the briny-ness of the river and the sweet floral muskiness that was Starfire. She turned in to him then, sliding her arms around his middle, her head slipping down to rest on his chest. He opened his eyes and smiled down on her, reaching up to run his fingers through her hair. She raised her head, smiling softly back at him. His fingers shifted to her cheek, faintly drawing little circles on her skin at first, but then holding her more firmly as he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.

The kiss was soft at first, their lips barely skimming, but Starfire shifted, pushing herself against him and sucking his upper lip between hers. Robin felt his pulse quicken as he tightened his grip on her and slipped his mouth over her jaw. He could feel her fingers tracing over his chest as it began to heave from his deepening respiration. He smoothed a hand over her side and down to her hip and was seriously considering pulling her into his lap when he felt the clasp of his cape snap open. The loosening of the ever-familiar garment caused Robin to lose his concentration. He looked up to find Starfire's fingers at his neckline.

"Star?" he rasped out, his breathing still deeper than usual.

She blinked at him, an odd mixture of hope, nerves and shame crossing her features. "We have said that we are ready to be _revolethen,_" she said in explanation.

"Wha…now?"

"It seems an ideal time; all of our friends are occupied; we should not be disturbed. And this is a romantic setting, yes?"

"Well…yeah…but…are you sure? I mean…you were so worried about abandoning them. Are you sure you don't want to do this just to help wake up the creature?"

Starfire cast her eyes downward and leaned away from him a bit. "I must admit that is a secondary reason."

"Hey," he ran his fingers along her chin, tilting her face back up to his. "I love you, and I do want to make love with you. I mean… I _really_ want to make love with you." His voice hitched a bit as he emphasized his desire. "But I want to do it for us, not out of any sense of obligation we may feel to the Team. I don't want it to be…colored by that. I want it to be about us…_just_ us. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Starfire nodded, her eyes beginning to shine with unshed tears. "Hey…don't do that," Robin soothed, stroking his thumb against her cheekbone. "We have time. Just because we said we were ready doesn't mean that we have to do it right this minute. Raven said all we needed to do was be together. We'll find the right time and place."

Starfire blinked back her tears and collapsed into Robin's embrace, her emotions swirling. Robin was right: she had hatched this plan with the idea that their _xioykrw _would not only further their relationship but also help their friends, hopefully easing the sense of guilt she was still carrying around despite her friends' assurance that she need not feel that way. At the same time, she _wanted_ to be with him, to feel her skin against his, to hold him in her arms and join with him. There was a dull ache in her chest whenever she thought about it; a yearning that only holding him seemed to cure. She tightened her arms around him and swallowed the lump forming in her throat.

TtTtTtTtT

Beast Boy and Aqualad headed out towards the river, their assigned area. Beast Boy turned into a crocodile and began looking around. Crocodiles were close enough to being marine creatures that he and Aqualad were still able to communicate via telepathy, at least for the most part.

"What's this thing look like again?" Aqualad asked.

"Bear-like. Oddly-colored fur; kinda greenish-brown. You'll know it when you see it."

"Any chance I'll be able to communicate with it?"

"Doubt it. It's very mammal-like."

Aqualad frowned. "Whales are mammals. I can communicate with them."

Silence.

"Beast Boy?" Aqualad spoke aloud.

Instead of responding, Beast Boy morphed back into his human form, his arms and legs elongating and slipping out from under him, sending him belly first onto the ground. "Dude! I just saw it! It was over there!" He pointed off into the trees.

Aqualad twisted around, sending out telepathic inquiries despite Beast Boy's counsel otherwise. "I didn't see anything," he said. Receiving nothing back, he pulled out his communicator. "But there was a small spike on the sensor nearest here. Cyborg," he put in the call, "I think we've gotten a reading."

"Which sensor?"

"29."

A pause. "Yeah, that's definitely anomalous. You see somethin', BB?"

"That's what tipped us off," the changeling replied.

"Got it. Raven," Cyborg went on, "you getting anything?"

There was silence for a few moments before she replied. "It's here. It's still pretty diffuse, but there's a hot spot out near Beast Boy and Aqualad."

"Okay," Cyborg said. "I'll keep a look out for that particular spike. The rest of you, keep your eyes and ears open. It's out here; we just need to find it."

TtTtTtTtT

Robin brushed Starfire's hair away from her face. "That's enough of this," he told her. "We're out here to have some fun. What should we do?"

Starfire pulled a deep breath and sat back. "Well…perhaps we could play a game?"

"Great idea. What should we play?"

"Umm…" Starfire looked around, surveying her options. Her eyes came to rest on Robin's face. "I believe Beast Boy calls this 'Keep Away,'" she said, a wicked grin crawling onto her features. She yanked Robin's mask from his face and darted off along the riverbank.

"Ow! Starfire!" He launched to his feet, running after her, his cape left behind.

Starfire quickly ran out of clearing as the trees encroached on the riverbank again. She stopped and rose into the air several feet, turning around as she did so.

"No fair flying!" Robin protested.

Starfire smiled innocently and waved his mask at him.

Robin took a running leap at her and caught her around the waist. They fell to the ground, Starfire squirming in his grip, but not trying terribly hard to get away. He crawled up her body, pinning her wrists over her head. He knew it would take almost no effort at all for her to toss him away, but she was playing along.

"I've got you," he declared as he straddled her hips and looked straight into her eyes, his nose brushing hers. "Now what are you going to do?"

"Um…" She looked away for a moment, and then a coy smile pulled at her lips. "This." She reached up and kissed him firmly.

Robin let out a surprised laugh against her lips before settling in to return the kiss, letting his weight fall against her. They kissed for what seemed like hours, their breaths rasping against each others' cheeks, their noses rubbing, their tongues sliding back and forth. As Starfire lifted them from the ground, Robin slipped his fingers down her arms and around her back. His legs wound around her hips of their own volition and Starfire's fingers found their way into his hair. She turned her head to the side, gasping for breath, and Robin took the opportunity to skim his lips over her cheek to that spot behind her ear. She squealed, and Robin felt a thrill run through his chest and down to his groin. Involuntarily, he thrust his hips against her. Starfire drew her knees up, and Robin felt them press against his behind. He panted out a breath at the contact, another shiver running through him. He gently bit at her neck, tearing at his gloves, dropping them to the ground beneath them. She squeaked at the feel of his teeth and her nails dug into his scalp. Pressing his bare hands against the hot skin of her back, he repeated the nip a bit lower on her neck. Starfire moaned again, writhing against him, pushing her knees into him.

Robin's chest was on fire; every ragged breath burned through him. He felt like he suddenly had ten times the amount of nerve cells; every little twitch or squirm Starfire made sent cascades of tingles through his body. And the sounds she was making…all Robin knew was that he wanted her to keep doing that. He nibbled again, again rewarded by a sexy squeal. But then he ran out of room. Starfire's neck/breast plate extended halfway up her neck, and Robin had come to its edge. He searched the back of it with his fingers, looking for a clasp of some kind. All he felt was smooth metal. "How does this thing come off?" he muttered, pulling on it.

Starfire reached between them and placed her hand on the jewel that adorned the front of the armor. She twisted and slid it in a fairly complicated way. After a moment, the interlocking pieces of the plate popped apart. He grinned at her and pulled at the front of it, this time succeeding in sliding it from around her neck, revealing the simple scoop neckline of her halter-top. And the rest of her neck. He growled and bit fairly firmly into the flesh just above her collarbone. He heard the breastplate thunk to the ground at the same time Starfire moaned, "Oh, Robin!"

She arched against him, throwing her head back. He sucked at the spot, and Starfire moaned low in her throat. Robin could feel the vibration under his lips. In Starfire's rapture, she leaned further and further back, forgetting Robin was still subject to gravity. Despite their tight holds on each other, his lips lost contact with her skin and he slipped and fell to the ground.

"Oh, Robin!" Starfire repeated, her tone one of concern this time. She was instantly sitting on the ground next to him. "Are you injured?"

Robin sat up and shook his head, clearing the blissful haze from it. "No, I'm okay." He rubbed the shoulder he'd fallen on.

"Oh, I am so very sorry! I was so enraptured by what we were doing that I was not paying attention. Are you certain that you are okay?"

"I'll be fine." He frowned. "Look at what I did to you, though." He stroked his thumb over the trail of marks he'd left on her neck. But Starfire just smiled.

"Bites of love are considered a good sign among my people. It is a signal that your relationship with your _reveloth_ is passionate." But at the mention of the Tameranian word for lover, the smile left Starfire's face. She reached up to touch his cheek, but her hand stalled in midair. "Robin…"

He placed his hand in the one she held out. "Starfire…" He searched her features. Her eyes shone with love and desire, but her lips, still rosy from their kisses, turned down in a disappointed frown. "You're sure?" he asked after a moment.

"I have been certain for a long time," she replied simply.

"And the creature?"

"That is merely…how does Cyborg say it? Gravy."

Robin laughed, his own trepidation lessening. "Okay." He nodded. "Okay." He stood, pulling her to her feet. "Come on."

TtTtTtTtT

Raven floated in a wide spot between two trees, her legs crossed under her, her eyes closed. That's what she'd been doing for over half an hour, in the same spot.

Bumblebee looked up at her again and frowned. She tried to keep herself busy by watching the local sensor readings, but she was getting a lot of garbage. The couple of things she'd called in to Cyborg turned out to be planes or other animals. She had no idea what she was looking for and was, quite frankly, bored. "Raven?" she called quietly.

"Yes, Bumblebee?" Raven replied without opening her eyes.

"I'm gonna know this thing when I see it, right?"

"Yes. But I'll know it's coming long before you can see it."

"You can tell it's active right now?"

"Yes. It has a very definite psychic signature. It's awake and…" Raven stopped, pulling in a sharp breath.

"Raven?"

Raven shook her head. "Nothing, just…it's getting stronger."

Bumblebee frowned again. "Can you tell where it is?"

Raven's only reply was to shake her head. Her breathing was starting to come a little more quickly, and Bumblebee was beginning to worry about her. Before Bumblebee could question her again, Raven began her familiar chant, "Azarath, Metrion, Zynthos…"

Bumblebee took that as a sign of danger and rose into the air, her stingers at the ready. When nothing happened, she turned back to Raven in time to see the witch press a hand to her neck. "Raven?"

Raven only response was to continue her chanting. After several minutes, Bumblebee saw her shoulders relax a bit and eventually her chanting stopped.

"Raven?" Bumblebee asked again. "What's happening?"

Raven opened her eyes as an odd look of worry and satisfaction graced her features. "Something is going to happen," she replied. "The creature will fulfill its duty soon."

TtTtTtTtT

Robin led Starfire back to the blanket she had spread beneath the large tree. He laughed nervously, reaching back to scratch his neck. "Ya know, I've thought about this a lot. But it never felt this…weird."

Starfire canted her head. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…how do we start? I know what we're supposed to do, but how do we get there?" He blushed furiously.

Starfire smiled patiently. She took a step closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, gently touching her lips to his for the briefest of moments. "We are _Aiyknrwa_. We will find what is best for us."

Robin's nervous frown turned into a nervous smile as he slid his arms around her back and met her lips again for another soft kiss.

In truth, Starfire was as anxious about this as Robin confessed to be, but she also believed very much what she had told him. She trusted Robin with her whole self: body, mind, heart and soul. She never had to be self-conscious around him about anything. He felt like an extension of herself at times. She wanted nothing more than to show him that. So she continued to kiss him, and let herself fall into the desire and instinct his touch brought.

Their kisses remained soft: brushes and pecks, over and over. Their hands, however, began to roam. Starfire's started in Robin's hair. She loved his hair: it was the deepest black she had ever seen on a human and was always a little unruly, no matter how much gel he put into it. The gel itself didn't bother her, although she had learned to keep her fingers below his neck before it had completely dried. She ran her fingers through it now, enjoying the contrast of the dried gel and the natural softness of his hair.

Robin's hands went the other direction, smoothing over her back. Starfire's breath hitched as he drew aimless patterns on her bare skin. She loved it when he did that; it sent tingles throughout her entire body. She pressed herself a bit more firmly against him at that contact, easing her hands down his neck to his shoulders. As Robin's fingers began to make delicious journeys up her spine, she let hers plunge down his back, stopping just above his belt, where she grabbed his shirt and pulled it out of his pants, working her hands beneath it and pressing them against the hard planes of his back.

Robin groaned against her lips, stopping his ministrations and pulling her closer, deepening their kiss for the first time since they'd returned to the blanket. As Starfire repeated Robin's actions onto his back, Robin slid his hands down her sides and over her hips to land on her behind, which he squeezed gently.

An odd sensation shot through Starfire at that contact: a fiery warmth that started behind her sternum, warmed her belly and ended behind her pelvic bone. She threw her head back and gasped, breaking their kiss. The desire on Robin's face was quickly turning to regret, but before he had a chance to apologize, Starfire sketched a come-hither smile onto her lips and pushed her arms further up beneath his shirt, lifting it. Robin quickly caught on and released her to allow her to pull the shirt over his head and arms.

Starfire smiled at him for a moment before dropping her eyes to size him up. She'd seen him shirtless before; he sometimes worked out without a shirt and once in a while even slept – with her – without one. But she'd never allowed herself to really admire him. She knew one way or the other she'd get herself in trouble. He'd outgrown the scrawnyness he'd displayed when she'd first met him and his well-worked muscles were beginning to define themselves. There was a sprinkling of course hair around his nipples and down his midline. She reached out and gently, almost reverently, traced her fingers over the curves of his abdomen and chest before lifting her eyes to his again.

As their eyes met, he raised his hand up and pressed her wandering hand against his chest – his heart. Time seemed to stop for a moment as Starfire felt Robin's chest heaving and his heart beating against her palm. His eyes bored into hers and Starfire felt she truly was going to drown in those blue pools; in the intensity of the moment she forgot to breathe.

Robin curled his fingers around her hand and pulled it gently away from his chest, never once changing his gaze. With his other hand he pulled off her gauntlet, dropping it carelessly to the blanket while repeating his actions with her other arm.

The moment faltered, but didn't break, as Robin put a hand on the band that she wore around her upper right arm and asked softly, "Star, what is this?"

She glanced at it briefly before returning her gaze to his. "It is the _itr'jrsty_," she answered simply. "It is a symbol of high honor worn by those who have been injured in battle."

Robin's eyes turned sad for a moment as he gently slipped it from her arm. He'd seen her remove it every night before retiring, but had never asked her about it. But then, he'd never undressed her before, either. He set it carefully on the blanket before taking a step closer to her and framing her face in his hands. The intensity between them seemed to increase tenfold as Starfire again got lost in his gaze. She could smell him now, and that combined with his nearness and his touch was quickly driving her insane. If something didn't happen soon, she swore she was going to faint.

Robin saved her from that fate by kissing her again, first softly, but within a few breaths he had pulled her against him and the kiss turned passionate. He scooped her up and fell to his knees, depositing her in his lap as he settled, his lips never leaving hers.

TtTtTtTtT

Cyborg and Speedy tromped through the woods, not really talking. Cyborg kept checking his arm, looking at the sensor readings he was getting from around the forest.

"What is it I should be doing?" Speedy asked.

"Just keep your eyes open, man. And keep that stun arrow of yours handy."

Speedy already had it drawn. A few moments of silence passed, and in an effort to make conversation, he asked, "So…is Starfire going to be alright?"

Cyborg looked up from his arm. "Huh? Oh, yeah. She just needs some rest. We all do, quite frankly. Hopefully with you guys here, this will go a lot faster."

"You knew who to call," Speedy replied with more than a little bravado.

Cyborg rolled his eye and poked at his arm. They tromped on.

"So…is she seeing anybody?" Speedy asked from behind him.

Cyborg froze. "You are not seriously asking what I think you're asking. Not after she told you to keep your hands to yourself." He twisted around to face the archer, a snarl on his lips.

Speedy shrugged. "I thought maybe she was just self-conscious about her scars, and maybe if I approached it a different way…"

"You do realize she could turn you into slag if you pissed her off enough, right?" Cyborg cut him off. "And that Robin would blow up what was left and that I'd turn the ashes into sub-atomic particles," Cyborg started to growl, advancing on Speedy. "And then Raven would send them to another dimension after Beast Boy turned them into cow manure!"

Speedy gripped his bow in a defensive stance, inserting it between himself and Cyborg. "What is it with you guys and Starfire?" he challenged. "You been charged by the high court of Tameran to guard her virginity or something?"

Cyborg grabbed him by the shirt as his other hand cha-chunked into his sonic cannon. "You wanna become sub-atomic particles right now?" He drew his cannon up and fired...over Speedy's shoulder. Speedy found himself on the ground as Cyborg pushed past him and fired again, yelling into his communicator. "I have visual contact! You should be able to track it by its transmitter! Teen Titans, go!"

Speedy twisted around and caught glimpse of some kind of bear-like creature disappearing through the trees. Without bothering to stand, he fired his stun arrow at it, and should have hit it, but he heard some weird rustling sound and saw it rise above the trees as it flew away…

TtTtTtTtT

Robin's lips were pulled from Starfire's as she swung her leg around to straddle him. His already raised respiration rate hitched up another notch as he got an eyeful of Starfire's cleavage as she came to rest. It didn't help that she was taller than him to begin with, but now she was sitting on his hips - something he was going to have to remedy fairly quickly, because it was pretty uncomfortable considering the mood he was in – making her that much taller.

He gulped and looked up at her, his gaze flicking involuntarily back to her chest. She smiled knowingly at him. Taking that as permission, he raised a shaking hand to her still-clothed breast and curved his fingers over it. He'd done this a few times before in the heat of _mrvlomh_, but it had always been quick and he'd always been too afraid to pay that much attention to it.

He smiled involuntarily as he felt her breath hitch and her back arch when his fingertips brushed over her peak, pushing the soft mound into his hand. He squeezed it gently and then rotated his hand, brushing his fingertips along the hem of her top. He looked up at her, again seeking permission. Her smile merely widened. Swallowing again, he worked his fingers beneath it, bringing up his other hand to aid him in his task. He looked back up into her eyes as ran his hands up Starfire's sides, pushing her top over her head and arms, tossing it to the side.

He was a bit taken back to find that Starfire wasn't wearing a bra. He cast a quick glance at her discarded top and noted some kind of support structure in it. But it was just a glance, as the view in front of him was much, much more interesting.

Robin knew what breasts looked like and wasn't surprised that Starfire's looked like any human's might. Except…hers were perfect. Not too big or small, proportioned correctly, sitting in just the right spot on her chest, pleasingly shaped with nipples a few shades darker than the rest of her skin exactly where they should have been. Being the teenager he was, Robin was more than a little goggled-eyed for a bit. But he collected himself and looked back up into her face, absently noting that she still wore the necklace he'd given her. She was still smiling down at him. He smiled back and again lifted his hand to caress her, gently grazing his fingertips over her skin. He was oddly pleased to see her nipple pucker at his light touch. He dipped his head and breathed on the other one, grinning as it too responded to him.

He raised his eyes to hers again; her smile had been replaced by a peculiar look of desire and…was that…lust? The look made Robin's chest constrict. He took a deep breath and pulled her to him, kissing her greedily. The contact of her bare chest to his caused his entire body to tingle with a pleasure he'd never felt before. It was wonderful…he pulled her ever tighter, purposefully squirming a little in order to feel the delicious friction between them. Was sex really better than this?

He pushed her over onto her back, falling with her, kissing and nibbling at every inch of exposed skin he could find. He felt her hook her ankles around the small of his back and his whole body spasmed, causing his pelvis to thrust against hers rather violently. His head snapped up with a grunt and as his gaze fell on her; he saw the desire in her clouded eyes, her bruised lips, her heaving chest, and knew he must look much the same way. God, he wanted her.

TtTtTtTtT

The blips on Aqualad's communicator were getting closer and closer together. "Beast Boy! It's coming this way!"

Beast Boy turned into a Tyrannosaurus Rex as Aqualad saw something fly over and into the sun. "Is that it?" he asked, his eyes going wide.

Beast Boy's answer was to turn into a Pterosaur and take off into the sky after the creature.

Aqualad just stood, unable to do anything, really. He watched Beast Boy's outline circle overhead several times before he landed and resumed his human form.

"Did you see where it went?" he asked.

Aqualad shook his head. "No. It flew into the sun and I didn't see it again."

"Aw man!" Beast Boy groused. "We lost it again!"

Aqualad looked at his communicator again. "Not for long. It's still on the sensors." He pressed the button. "Raven, Bumblebee, it's headed in your direction!"

TtTtTtTtT

Starfire felt her back slide against the blanket as Robin drove his hips against hers. The movement caused her ankles to hitch up his back a few inches. Her attention, however, was on Robin's smoky eyes. The way he was looking at her, with such desire, combined with the delightful tingles the feel of his skin pressed to hers sent through her and the light-headedness of her own labored breathing was causing her to lose track of everything except him. She grabbed his hair and pulled him down for another ravenous kiss, tightening her legs around him and grinding her heels into the small of his back as she pushed her hips up against his. A tightness was beginning to form between her legs and she rubbed herself against him out of instinct.

Robin dragged his lips down her neck, between her breasts and over her stomach before pushing away from her and rocking back on his heels. "Robin?" she asked, her voice pinched from the loss of contact.

"These things have got to go," he replied, pulling on the top of her left boot, his voice still a bit breathy. He managed to get it down to her knee, but the leather bunched up and refused to go any further. He looked up at her sheepishly. "Uh…Star?"

She pushed herself up onto her elbows, laughing with relief. "Start with the heel."

"Heh...right." He pulled the top of the boot back into its normal position and followed her instructions, quickly dispensing with both of the lengthy purple boots. He ogled her long, smooth legs and wasted no time running his hands up her shins, over her knees and around the outside of her thighs. Her _dintovsmy _was beginning to form and Starfire wondered for a pained moment if that was why he again withdrew. Her heart quickly recovered as she saw he had only done so to remove his own boots. He unhooked his utility belt as well and laid it across the toes of his footwear. He turned back to her and flashed her a somewhat goofy grin. Starfire laughed again, any remaining doubts in her mind evaporating. She sat up and leaned forward, sliding her arms around his waist and pressing her breasts against his chest. The smile on his face faded but the desire returned to his eyes. Starfire fixed a naughty smile on her own face before dropping her eyes and brushing her lips against his while at the same time pushing her hands down the back of his pants. She felt his chest swell sharply against hers as she came in contact with the smooth skin of his buttocks. She continued to take advantage of the leverage she had and bent further forward, forcing his pants down over his hips, feeling a wicked little thrill run through her as she did so.

TtTtTtTtT

Bumblebee pulled out her communicator and noted the line the creature seemed to be heading. She looked up to get her bearings and saw Raven flying off through the trees. "Are you coming?" the sorceress called over her shoulder. Bumblebee fluttered off after her.

Raven stopped in a small clearing. "I don't see anything," Bumblebee said as she came up behind her. "The sensors say it should be near here…"

"It's here," Raven cut her off, not looking at her.

Before Bumblebee could look around any further, the air was split by the sound of an animal's roar. "What the…" Bumblebee darted her eyes from one side of the clearing to the other, her hands going to her stingers.

In her survey, Bumblebee took a glance at Raven. Her eyes were dark and her face was pinched. Then a weird little grin formed on her lips. Unsure of what to make of that, Bumblebee continued her visual hunt when some _thing_ suddenly appeared from nowhere, cowering a bit and keening like a hurt dog.

Bumblebee gasped and pulled her stingers.

"No, don't!" Raven shouted, shooting out a hand and encasing the weapons with her magic. "We can't hurt it."

TtTtTtTtT

Robin felt a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding force its way out of his lungs as Starfire inadvertently pushed him over onto his behind. _Starfire_ _had her hands in his pants! _Some part of his brain couldn't wrap itself around that. The pouty little smile that she had on her lips gave him pause, and his stomach flipped over in a mixture of excitement and fear. She continued to invade his pants, and he couldn't do anything except raise his hips and let her strip them off. She flung them aside in an exaggerated display. Her lips continued to twist in an almost evil way as she looked him over. But as her eyes fell on his athletic supporter the minx disappeared and her brow wrinkled in question. She raised a finger and tapped on it, sending a shiver through him. "I did not realize the human male genitalia was so…stiff."

Robin collapsed onto his back, laughing heartily. The last of his trepidation left him; she was still his wonderful Starfire. "Oh, it's stiff, Sweetheart, but that's not it!" he said through his laughter, more in answer to her inadvertent joke than in explanation.

"Robin? Have I said something wrong?" she asked, the familiar question in her voice.

He quelled his laughter a bit and looked up at her. She could not have been more adorable: wearing only her brief miniskirt, naked above and below it, she sat on her knees, her eyes wide and her brows pinched together as she held a finger to her slightly parted lips. Robin found the mixture of allure and innocence very sexy.

Still chuckling, he sat up and gathered her into his arms. "No, no," he answered her. "You just made a very astute observation." He leaned back and brushed her hair out of her face, smiling merrily at her, but the confusion remained on her features. He reached down and hooked his pinky through one of the undergarment's straps. "This is protection…armor." A blush began to creep around his ears, but his smile remained. "I'm pretty hard right now, but…not like that."

Starfire's eyes widened in realization. "Oh…oh!" Her hands flew to her mouth and she giggled behind them. "How embarrassing!" she said through a titter.

He squeezed her shoulder. "It's okay."

Starfire's eyes flicked down and then back up to his. "May I see…how stiff you truly are?"

Robin's breath caught in his throat. This was really it. His nerves started to creep back. "If…you want to…"

Starfire nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. Robin took a deep breath and rose to his knees, pushing his thumbs beneath the straps. He'd gotten barely an inch before her hands were over his, stopping him. He crinkled his brow in question, but Starfire's eyes twinkled brazenly and she pressed her fingers under his, dragging her nails over his skin and lowering the garment for him. His erection bounced free like some child's toy, and Robin felt the back of his neck get hot at the thought of how lame that looked.

But if Starfire thought that, she wasn't saying anything. She was studying him like some important clue. The athletic supporter fell to the ground around his knees and Robin gratefully sat back down to pull it from his legs. She still hadn't said anything. He looked at her; she seemed transfixed, her features unreadable. "Star?" he croaked, unsure of what to make of her reaction.

In response, Starfire pushed his knees flat. Her eyes hadn't moved. In what seemed like slow motion to Robin, she reached up and brushed her fingertips against him. The organ twitched at the slight touch, and he pulled in a sharp breath as every nerve in his body lit up. He felt his eyes roll back into his head briefly as she continued her exploration, feeling along the top and running her thumb around the tip before gently curling her hand around him. "The skin is so soft," she breathed. She looked up at him finally, a look of marvel and appreciation in her eyes. Almost imperceptibly, her hand twisted.

That was it for Robin; he was going to lose it pretty soon if she kept doing that_._ He rocketed to his knees again, snatching her wrist and pulling her hand away from its magnificent torture. In the same instant, he pulled her against him and crushed his lips to hers. She responded in kind, rising to her own knees and winding her arms around his neck, pressing the length of her torso against his. Gasping for breath and practically biting her lips, he pulled open the clasp of her belt and shoved her skirt over her hips, grabbing her bare behind as it fell to the ground.

TtTtTtTtT

"But I thought we were supposed to…" Bumblebee protested.

"Just trust me," Raven told her.

Bumblebee looked between Raven and the creature, which still seemed to be cowering at the base of a large tree. She slowly lowered her stingers and placed them back on her belt. "What should we do, then?"

Raven's eyes went dark just before she shut them. "Call the others."

Bumblebee pulled out her communicator again. "Cyborg, Speedy, Beast Boy, Aqualad, we have the creature on the ground. Requesting backup. Repeat, requesting backup." She switched channels. "Mas, Menos, get your _nalgas_ over here!"

By the time Bumblebee lowered her communicator, Mas y Menos were by her side. "¡Sí, Bumblebee!" They turned to look at the creature. "Oooo.. ¡El monstruo!"

"Just hang tight, guys," she told them. She looked back to Raven, hoping for some instruction. Raven, however, still had her eyes closed. The creature snarled, and Raven's eyes twitched. Bumblebee glanced back over at the creature; the snarl had been a momentary reaction and it had gone back to cowering. Raven, however, gasped at something unseen. Bumblebee switched her gaze again to see her pull a few shaky breaths and began to mumble to herself, "Azarath, Metrion, Zynthos…"

TtTtTtTtT

Starfire squirmed against Robin as her desire to feel more and more of his skin spiraled ever higher. His hands were groping her behind, a part of herself she had not realized was so sensitive until just this moment. She broke their kiss and pulled him as close as she dared, not wishing to crush him. He ran his fingers deliciously up her back and leaned away from her. She loosed her hold on him and looked into his eyes, now almost black they were so dark. She felt his fingertips brush against her cheek and he bent in to kiss her again, this time sweetly and gently. She allowed him to ease her back onto the blanket once more and felt a shiver of disappointment run through her when he did not settle his weight but instead leaned back to pull her skirt from her legs.

His brow furrowed as he inspected the garment. It was, in fact, a pair of shorts with a skirt wrapped around them. "Star, don't you wear _any_ underwear?"

"I do own some earthly undergarments," she replied, placing a foot against his chest in desire to keep some kind of contact with him. "However, I do not normally wear them beneath my uniform. I find them constricting."

The color rose in Robin's cheeks and his eyes crossed for a moment. "I'm never going to be able to look at you again!"

Starfire blinked in confusion. "Why ever not?"

Robin heaved a barely controlled breath. "Because the knowledge that the only thing between me and this…" he ran his hand over her belly, letting his fingers graze against the underside of her breasts, "…is one thin layer of fabric…" he shook his head. "I'm never going to be able to control myself."

An evil little thought formed in Starfire's brain with that knowledge and her lips again twisted into a small, feral smile. She pushed herself into a sitting position, allowing her foot to slide over his chest and down his side to rest beside his hip. She leaned forward and pressed her bosom against his chest, purposefully wriggling around a bit, enjoying the delicious tingle of his skin against her nipples. She draped her arms over his shoulders and lidded her eyes, giving him a sultry look. "Perhaps that is what I wanted."

Robin's eyes grew as big as saucers. "Starfire!"

Starfire giggled merrily. "Am I not allowed to do the teasing?"

"Oh…" Robin shook his head, panting out several breaths as a crooked smile crept over his features.

And then he was kissing her again, nipping at her lips and tongue, gripping her shoulders, pushing her back to the blanket once more. This time he did allow himself to fall against her and Starfire couldn't help but float a few inches into the air as her whole body flushed with desire and pleasure. She felt his need brush against the inside of her thigh as she moved to wrap her legs around him.

Robin suddenly drew away from her. "Wait. Hold that thought." He slid from her hovering body onto his knees.

"Robin?" Bewildered, Starfire sank back to the ground.

Robin twisted around and pulled something from his utility belt. He turned back to her and held up a foil square between two fingers. "Contraception."

Starfire puffed out a breath of relief. "Thank you for remembering," she said with a small smile.

He returned the smile, nodding as he ripped open the foil. Starfire saw his ears turn pink again as he applied the rubber sheath.

Starfire wrinkled her nose. "The odor is unpleasant."

Robin sniffed, then shrugged. "That's what latex smells like." He grinned and kissed her knee. "I'll just do my best to take your mind off of it."

Starfire's smile returned as Robin rose to his knees and crawled up between her legs. He pressed a kiss to her pubic bone, and then another a bit higher, near her navel. Starfire shivered as he dipped his tongue into the indentation. He continued to pepper kisses over her belly until he came across the scars that ran over her side. He glanced up at her, his eyes becoming sad again. He gently kissed along their length, tilting his head over her side to reach all of them. As he raised it back he dragged his lips over the side of her breast, ending with a tentative kiss against her nipple. Starfire felt her whole body thrill at that contact and when, after a few more feather-like kisses, he opened his lips and pulled the hardened peak into his mouth. She gasped, arching her back to press more fully into the contact as a charge ran from where his lips touched her, through her belly and spine and settled between her legs.

Robin's hand had found her other breast, and he gently squeezed it while he softly raked his thumbnail over the nipple. Starfire squirmed against him, the shivers continuing to run through her body and her sex beginning to twitch with want. Her hands flew to his hair. "Robin, please…" she moaned.

He raised his head finally and slithered the last few inches up her body. She felt his desire press against her own as his lips finally met hers again, passionately but not greedily. He pulled away after a few moments and looked deeply into her eyes. "_Yr sefte, Aiyknrwa_ Starfire," he breathed.

Starfire felt her heart rate quicken and a small lump form in her throat. "I love you, beloved Robin," she murmured around it.

He lowered his head and kissed her fervently as he pushed his hips forward. Starfire threw her head back and groaned as a shot of pure pleasure thrilled through her. She had expected there to be pain when he entered her, but there was none…only joy and rapture and love.

Robin stopped at her sound. "Starfire?" His eyes were worried.

"Do not stop," she whispered, coiling her legs around his hips. "It is wonderful!"

TtTtTtTtT

Pterosaur Beast Boy set Aqualad on the ground, who stumbled several steps before regaining his footing. "You're telling me Cyborg does that all the time?" he questioned the now-human changeling.

"Yeah, Robin too."

Aqualad shuddered. "They're braver men than I."

Cyborg and Speedy came marching into the clearing at that moment. "Bee!" Cyborg called. "What's…happening…" he trailed off as he saw the creature hunched on the ground. It rose up on its haunches for a brief moment, snarling, but quickly sat back down. Both Cyborg and Speedy aimed their weapons at it.

"No, stop!" Raven dashed in front of them, her eyes still dark and the color high in her cheeks. "We cannot hurt it. It will fulfill its duty soon. The issue will resolve itself."

Cyborg and Speedy glanced at each other and shrugged. "Raven?" Cyborg asked.

But Raven had squeezed her eyes shut again and was panting, whispering her magic words to herself. The creature growled low in its throat from behind her.

"Raven, move!" Speedy commanded, drawing another of his stun arrows. Aqualad and Beast Boy grabbed her cloak and pulled her out of the way.

"Wait, man," Cyborg wrapped a hand around Speedy's drawing wrist. "It's not hurting anything right now," he gestured to the creature, which had settled back into cowering mode. "Raven thinks this is gonna take care of itself. Let's just keep an eye on it for now, and wait."

Speedy lowered his bow but snarled at Cyborg. "I thought you called us out here to catch this thing!"

"We did! But I trust Raven. And I'm in charge of this mission. If you're not gonna obey my orders, then I'm gonna send you back to camp with boa constrictor Beast Boy as a chaperone!"

"Stop it!" Bumblebee commanded the two boys, stepping between them.

The creature keened behind them, and they all twisted to look. Raven let out a similar moan and drew in a few sharp pants before increasing the speed of her chanting.

"Raven?" Beast Boy asked.

"What is going on here?" Speedy demanded.

Cyborg shook his head, his eyes never leaving Raven. "I told ya the thing was interdimensional."

"What kind of answer is that?"

"Look!" Bumblebee pointed to the creature, which had started to quiver.

The team watched the beast shivering as though it were a cold winter night. A low moan came from Raven, and they all snapped their heads around to see her with her head thrown back, her cowl slipped down to her shoulders, her mouth hanging open, and her chest heaving.

TtTtTtTtT

Starfire's hips shifted as she wrapped her legs around him, causing Robin to readjust himself. Scooting his knees up a bit, he pressed himself forward until he came to rest in the cradle of her thighs. He paused there, fully enveloped by her. His breath came in ragged gasps and his head swam. The feel of her touching him everywhere was beyond anything Robin had ever even thought possible, much less imagined. He pushed himself up to look into her eyes again. Hers reflected back such love and acceptance. Something hitched in his chest as a wave of powerful emotion washed over him. He brushed a hand over her cheek and through her hair before kissing her again, this time hungrily. He wriggled his hips against hers before experimentally pulling back a bit and pushing forward again. Her thighs moved with him, fastened to his sides by her secretion. He repeated the motion, kissing over her jaw to that spot behind her ear. He felt her jolt beneath him, and her sex twitched around his. His lips lost contact with her skin as the sensation shuddered through him. If that weren't heady enough, they began to rise off the blanket. Losing his leverage against the ground, he wrapped his arms around her back and pressed his chest to hers, gripping her shoulders. He managed to continue pushing into her, clumsily at first, but was able to find a rhythm after a short while.

They floated as they coupled, and somehow they turned into a more upright position, as though she were sitting on his lap. Robin's legs dangled, and he gripped her shoulders to keep his leverage. Starfire started to make little sounds with each stroke that drove Robin ever crazier. In the back of his mind, Robin noticed that they were several meters over the river. But he felt totally safe, wrapped in Starfire's embrace and buried inside her. He could feel everything: the silkiness of her skin, the grip of her arms and legs, the tightness of her sex around his along with his own heaving chest and pounding heart. He was totally lost; his body finally giving over and letting him really feel what his heart had known for so long: he loved her, totally and completely.

Starfire writhed against him as he rocked into her. He could feel himself getting close. He grit his teeth and tried to concentrate on her; he wanted to make this last. She began to lean away from him on each stroke, tipping further and further back. He could see her breasts glistening with sweat as she panted. That only turned him on all the more. Held in place by Starfire's strong legs and her secretion, he gripped her hips and pushed himself into her harder. Starfire began to squeal with each stroke. He saw her torso stiffen as the intermittent squeals turned into a constant cry. Her arms slipped from his back and she threw them over her head. Robin felt her whole body tense and she began to glow the green of her starbolts. He was too far gone to stop. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him just as the glow exploded around and through them.

The electricity he felt from Starfire's energy was enough to drive Robin over the edge. Every muscle tensed as the ecstasy surged through him; it was as though his entire body were trying to force itself out through his groin. The sun blazed in his eyes and everything went white….

TtTtTtTtT

A wave of pleasure surged through Raven, causing her to groan and throw her head back. Robin and Starfire were together, and she could feel them. The creature could obviously feel them too, or Starfire at least, and Raven could feel what the creature felt. It was creating this unbelievable feedback loop that, no matter how hard Raven tried, she couldn't block out or even push far enough back into her consciousness that she could ignore it. She whispered her mantra over and over in a vain attempt to gain some control, "Azarath, Metrion, Zynthos, Azarath, Metrion, Zynthos…."

It's not as if she were spying on them; she couldn't really tell what they were doing. But she could feel their emotions and some of the physical sensations. It was still a huge invasion of their privacy, even if she couldn't block it out. The guilt from that knowledge made it all that much harder to concentrate. Mostly it was Starfire that she could feel – that was largely coming from the creature and its link with the alien – but Raven had her own link with Robin, and his emotions were definitely present. Something had lit him up like a Christmas tree not too long ago.

Right now, an odd sense of completeness coupled with longing had washed over Raven; she could feel it rolling off of both of her friends as well as the creature. Her breath rasped in her throat as she struggled to make sense of it.

Raven could still sense what was going on around her – the confusion of her teammates, mostly. "Look!" one of them, Aqualad she thought, called out. She managed slit her eyes open to look at the creature. It was shaking. A burst of light shot through it, and it decreased in size. At that same moment, her nerves cascaded and she tingled from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. Her limbs started to twitch, and she could feel what little control she had over her powers starting to slip. The leaves began to rustle as her telekinesis presented itself.

"Raven?" several of her teammates asked. She held her shaking hands up, warning them back.

The creature keened again, and Raven felt herself starting to become light-headed as her respiration continued to increase. The sense of longing from Robin and Starfire was beginning to overshadow the completeness; it was starting to turn into something more akin to reaching. It became a physical sensation; a pressing on her chest and arms. She could feel Robin digging his fingers into Starfire's flesh. Her stomach constricted as she felt the creature decrease in size again, and at that point, she lost any control she may have had left. She began to stutter through her mantra, "Azarath…Azarath…Metrion…Azarath, Metrion…"

The trees ringing the clearing trembled and their leaves rained down on them. Raven could hear her teammates shouting and complaining. The sense of reaching began to overtake her; all of her muscles started to tense. A wind that hadn't been blowing before whipped her cloak around her.

"Raven, stop it!" she heard Beast Boy yell at her over the din of the wind and the trees. He put his hands on her shoulders and she tossed him away with a blast of her magic. In her hyper-sensitive state, she heard him crunch against a tree and Aqualad and Cyborg going after him, inquiring if he was alright.

"Yeah, I'm fine. That's gonna leave a mark, though."

As the undefined reaching became stronger, Raven had enough clarity to realize that if she didn't focus somehow, she was going to bring the whole forest down on them. Her breath still rasping in her chest and her pulse pounding in her ears, she managed to open her eyes. Her teammates were doing their best to shield themselves from the onslaught of the wind and the falling debris; Beast Boy sat under a tree rubbing his head. The creature sat opposite her, still cowering; it had shrunken again. Needing release, she quickly focused on a tree off to her left; it was away from the other occupants of the clearing. "Azarath…" she spoke aloud, literally reaching out towards the tree, her arms shaking.

"Metrion…" Her magic flowed from her trembling fingers, engulfing the tree. The creature was beginning to keen again.

"Zynthos!" The tree creaked as its limbs began to fall from it. The creature shrank again, a burst of green light engulfing it. An almost animal-like growl came from Raven as she felt the world explode around her…

TtTtTtTtT

Robin went limp, and the spell was broken. But it wasn't a dream or a hallucination. Starfire was still everywhere; he could feel her labored breath against his neck and the press of her breasts against his chest as the two of them struggled to slow their respiration.

Starfire unwrapped her legs from Robin's hips, the secretion somehow gone, causing him to slip out of her. He suddenly felt incomplete. She lowered them to the blanket and sat against the tree, cradling him in her arms. He rest his head against her shoulder and felt the completeness start to return.

Laying in Starfire's arms was almost better than what had just happened. He felt as though they were still floating, even though the feel of the blanket and the lumpy forest floor beneath his calf proved him wrong. Despite having settled into this resting position more than a minute ago, Robin's chest still heaved with his heavy breathing.

"Wow," he breathed into her ear. "Wow."

"I too am overwhelmed," Starfire's also-labored voice returned. "Do you think this is as wonderful for other couples?"

"On this planet? No," Robin chuckled, finally regaining some control over his respiration.

And so the two young _revolthen_ stayed, wrapped in each others' arms, reveling in each others' touch. They said very little, letting gentle caresses and soft kisses do most of the communicating for them. They stayed that way for what felt like hours, even dozing now and again.

"May we not stay like this forever?" Starfire asked as the sun began to set.

Robin smiled into her chest before looking up into her eyes. "I know. I'd like to, too." He craned his neck up and brushed his lips against hers. "Thank you."

She looked at him quizzically. He tried to explain. "For today, for being you, for…for loving me."

She beamed and took his face in her hands, kissing him fiercely. When she pulled away, she said, "I thank you too, Robin. For what you have thanked me for, and for being my best friend."

TtTtTtTtT

Raven collapsed to the ground, holding herself up with her hands, gasping for breath. Bumblebee came to her side after a few moments when the only sound in the clearing was Raven's breathing. "Girl, you all right?"

Raven looked up at her. "Yes, actually. I feel…wonderful." She managed a weak smile as she looked around the clearing, now littered with leaves and tree limbs. "What happened to the creature?"

"That's what we were wondering," Speedy replied from near where it had been cowering. He rifled through the leaf litter with the end of his bow. He made a face as he cleared the debris away. "There's some kind of weird rock here." He knelt down to pick it up, but as he touched it, he was thrown several feet back, landing unceremoniously on his behind.

"Hey, you okay?" Cyborg asked from where he stood near Raven and Bumblebee.

"Yeah," Speedy shook his hand. "The feeling better come back in my fingers, though."

"Let me try," Aqualad said, approaching the small stone. He too was thrown back.

The Titans looked at each other. "What are we going to do if we can't touch it?" Bumblebee translated for Mas y Menos.

Cyborg frowned and began poking at his arm as he walked the few steps over. His frown only deepened as he examined the readouts. "I'm not even picking anything unusual up. It's just a rock, according to this." He looked over to Raven, now sitting on the ground. Her color was still high and she looked exhausted. "We need to wait," was her reply.

"Why?" Speedy asked.

"We just…do."

Speedy frowned, and the rest of the team didn't look too happy, but there was no real argument.

"Look, I'm gonna take Raven back to camp," Cyborg said. "The rest of ya'll just stay put and keep an eye on the thing. I wanna hear if ANYTHING changes – if the light hits it differently, you call me, okay?"

Nods were exchanged, and Cyborg offered his hand to Raven, who took it and let herself be led through the forest.

"What happened back there?" Cyborg asked once they got back to camp, handing her a cold bottle of water.

Raven took a long drink, shaking her head. "It's not what happened back there."

Cyborg paused. "Rob and Star?"

Raven nodded.

"They didn't waste any time," Cyborg noted, shaking his head.

Raven snorted. "They didn't even make it back to the Tower."

Cyborg's eyebrow shot upwards. "They didn't?"

Raven shook her head again. "Nope. I think they're by the river. They're still in the woods, at least."

"The river? Aw, man, I sent BB and Aqualad over there…"

"I don't think they saw anything," Raven said, taking another drink.

Cyborg nodded marginally, and then chuckled. "Man, I know those two had it bad, but…"

"You have no idea," Raven droned back at him, lidding her eyes with mild annoyance.

"And the reason we need to wait to call them is…?"

"To give them some time," Raven replied with a small smile. "Never let it be said that I'm not a romantic."


End file.
